German Federal Court Rules in Favor of Alisher Usmanov Against EU Council
The German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has ruled that the refusal to serve judicial documents to the Council of the European Union regarding Alisher Usmanov's defamation lawsuit was illegal. The case stems from Usmanov's challenge against the justifications used by the EU Council to impose sanctions on him in 2022, specifically claims labeling him as a 'Putin proxy.' The ruling overturns previous decisions by the Hamburg Regional Court and the Higher Regional Court of Hamburg, which had blocked the notification process following objections from the German Federal Foreign Office. The BGH clarified that court administrators do not have the authority to block judicial notifications based on foreign policy concerns or recommendations from executive ministries. This landmark decision clears the path for the first-ever defamation lawsuit against the EU Council concerning its stated reasons for individual sanctions. It reinforces the principle of access to justice, ensuring that national judicial processes cannot be obstructed by executive branch interests.
Topics: Alisher Usmanov defamation lawsuit EU sanctions European Union Council legal dispute
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Part of the story German Federal Court of Justice Rules Hamburg Court President Illegally Blocked Usmanov's Lawsuit Against EU Council (4 articles)